So he climbed the Beanstalk once more, and blew the horn at the Giant’s
gate. The Giantess soon opened the door; she was very stupid, and did
not know him again, but she stopped a minute before she took him in.
She feared another robbery; but Jack’s fresh face looked so innocent
that she could not resist him, and so she bade him come in, and again
hid him away in the wardrobe.
By-and-by the Giant came home, and as soon as he had crossed the
threshold he roared out:
‘Fe, fa, fi-fo-fum,
I smell the breath of an Englishman.
Let him be alive or let him be dead,
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.’
‘You stupid old Giant,’ said his wife, ‘you only smell a nice sheep,
which I have grilled for your dinner.’
And the Giant sat down, and his wife brought up a whole sheep for his
dinner. When he had eaten it all up, he said:
‘Now bring me my harp, and I will have a little music while you take
your walk.’
The Giantess obeyed, and returned with a beautiful harp. The framework
was all sparkling with diamonds and rubies, and the strings were all of
gold.
‘This is one of the nicest things I took from the knight,’ said the
Giant. ‘I am very fond of music, and my harp is a faithful servant.’
So he drew the harp towards him, and said:
‘Play!’
And the harp played a very soft, sad air.
‘Play something merrier!’ said the Giant.
And the harp played a merry tune.
‘Now play me a lullaby,’ roared the Giant; and the harp played a sweet
lullaby, to the sound of which its master fell asleep.
Then Jack stole softly out of the wardrobe, and went into the huge
kitchen to see if the Giantess had gone out; he found no one there, so
he went to the door and opened it softly, for he thought he could not
do so with the harp in his hand.
Then he entered the Giant’s room and seized the harp and ran away with
it; but as he jumped over the threshold the harp called out:
‘MASTER! MASTER!’
And the Giant woke up.
With a tremendous roar he sprang from his seat, and in two strides had
reached the door.
But Jack was very nimble. He fled like lightning with the harp, talking
to it as he went (for he saw it was a fairy), and telling it he was the
son of its old master, the knight.
Still the Giant came on so fast that he was quite close to poor Jack,
and had stretched out his great hand to catch him. But, luckily, just
at that moment he stepped upon a loose stone, stumbled, and fell flat
on the ground, where he lay at his full length.
This accident gave Jack time to get on the Beanstalk and hasten down
it; but just as he reached their own garden he beheld the Giant
descending after him.
‘Mother! Mother!’ cried Jack, ‘make haste and give me the axe.’
His mother ran to him with a hatchet in her hand, and Jack with one
tremendous blow cut through all the Beanstalks except one.
‘Now, mother, stand out of the way!’ said he.